Things We Lost in the Fire

By Cliff Williamson

 

The flames were great destroyers

In the fire of recent years.

Swept us into a hall of terrors

Held us captive in our fears.

 

The heat was blue white hot

The smoke clouds billowed and turned

Suspicion fueled the flames.

While both friends and enemies burned.

 

We searched the holy oblivion

For an enemy too small to see

It attacked us through loved ones

It attacked us as we breathed.

 

But once the danger passed us,

We were able to take pause

Once the maelstrom finally ended

We took notice of our loss.

 

Now we put aside our sadness

We consider what the cost

We ponder in reflection

To examine what we’ve lost

 

There are accounts to be settled

There are inspections for to do

There is inventory to be taken

There is rubble to sift through

 

There were lives lost, that’s for certain

There was lost love, lost good times

We lost precious celebrations.

We were casualties of crimes.

 

Did so many have to perish?

Did we need those dying beds.

Could it all have been avoided?

If we’d only used our heads.

 

And as humans we recover

Pick us up, brush off the ash

And for years we will remember

How we survived the clash.

 

As we move ahead in sorrow

As we look to future schemes

The terror of the CoVid 19

Lives forever in our dreams.